Mario's Mansion 4 is a short SMBX title that continues the line of its namesake. In the past, the series has been created as community events, but this time Solitayre decided to fly solo and create the game he'd been envisioning since the series began.

The plot is much the same as previous installments: it's Halloween, Kamek's back to turn everyone into ghosts again, and Mario's gonna put an end to his shit. What a terrible night for a curse, blah blah blah. We've got our goal and that's all we need, so LET'S GO!

Being inspired by the Castlevania series, much of the game's aesthetics come from it. The music and backgrounds are almost all from Castlevania, though which ones I couldn't tell you 'cuz I was never real big on those games. What I can say is that Soli makes good use of his chosen tiles and backdrops, making the game stunning to look at.


Gorgeous.

In some cases, these brilliant visuals are a little too pretty for their own good. There are occasions where visual confusion is created between the foreground and background, making it hard to tell how the level is constructed. However, it doesn't take long to get used to and eventually your eyes can sort out what's important, although you may have to pay closer attention.

The game is a bit different than other Mario games in that it foregoes all the normal power-ups. I mean, you'll still find mushrooms, but apart from that the only weapon at your disposal is the axe suit; a hammer suit re-sprite that lets you cleave ghosts in half.


I'm not complaining.

Power-ups are paced fairly, so you won't be in need for long (unless you suck at SMBX). The game is short, but it has its own difficulty curve. Things are generally easy to start with and get decently challenging in the end. New players may have a tough time, but SMBX veterans will have something to enjoy as well.

The game doesn't feature much in the way of secrets. Each level ends with a star, but there are no extra ones hidden anywhere. You'll get them all through the course of a normal game. Likewise, there are no hidden paths. This may not appeal as much to some people, but the game focuses mostly on the levels, and that's more in line with its narrowed focus in general. It's a different type of game, and it definitely has its place.

Depending on your skill level, it doesn't take long to complete. If you have an evening to kill and want a quick SMBX romp, this is a worthy choice. Having very few gripes, I give it a...

4/5